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be beaten.
And yet its three candidates, in the order of preference, were
Seward,
Chase, and
Bates.
No one in the
East had yet thought of
Lincoln.
His first serious mention in the
Tribune occurred in the announcement of his forthcoming speech at Cooper Union.
This indorsed him:
... As emphatically a man of the people, a champion of free labor, of diversified and prosperous industry, and of that policy which leads through peaceful progress to universal intelligence, virtue, and freedom.
The distinguishing characteristics of his political addresses are clearness and candor of statement, a chivalrous courtesy to opponents, and a broad, genuine humor. ...
In referring to the address itself, it declared:
... No man ever before made such an impression in his first appeal to a New York audience. ...
It is a matter of history that
Lincoln was nominated for the presidency on May 19, 1860.
From that day till November 6th the
Tribune labored night and day to make his election sure.
It entertained no doubt of the result.
It as yet had no fear of secession, but on October 13th declared:
... The Union will in no case be shattered.
It will not even be seriously shaken.
It is a rock on which thousands may make shipwreck of their own hopes, fortunes, and even lives, but which will itself be unaffected by their criminal madness.
Parties will rise and fall, factions may rave and cabals plot; but Saratoga and Yorktown are parts of our common country, and so will remain forever! ...
This, in the opinion of experts, was written by
Dana.
It was followed after
Lincoln's election by another, which was evidently
Greeley's. It runs as follows:
